Enactment manifesting as a unified, holistic process analytic dimensions across multiple environment dichotomies

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the future work and recommendations of the source papers, classified as general, spanning 3 journals.

Supporting evidence — 3 representative gaps

• Insights from a qualitative study on integrating birding into K-12 STEAM curricula in after school settings (2026) · Discover Education · doi

  We categorize this current iteration as an interdisciplinary pedagogical model, empha- sizing the coordination between subjects. However, our findings suggest that this framework serves as a foundational “stepping stone” toward transdisciplinary STEAM. Transdisciplinary STEAM represents a higher level of integration where disciplinary boundaries are blurred or eliminated to address systemic issues [12]. It often incorpo- rates both academic and non-academic perspectives, such as those of community stake- holders and practitioners, to create a holistic “functional synthesis” that extends beyond traditional classroom limits [13]. The transition toward transdisciplinarity occurs when the boundaries between subjects blur to address “wicked” real-world problems [15, 53, 70]. The collective action observed in our students, where they established a campus display and acted as biodiversity ambassadors, indicates an emerging “functional syn- thesis”. By incorporating the perspectives of community stakeholders and local conser- vationists in future iterations, this model can evolve from a school-based inquiry into a transdisciplinary force for local ecological problem-solving. Leveraging our school’ s unique natural setting, we aim to expand our after-school birding program by evolving from interdisciplinary exploration toward a transdisciplinary STEAM framework. This approach will involve collaboration with community stakeholders to solve real-world ecological challenges. To specifically bolster the Engineering (E) and Mathematics (M) pillars, future itera- tions will shift from simple identification to technical problem-solving and predictive analysis. Students will move beyond descriptive statistics (species counting) to infer- ential and predictive analysis. Using local birding data, they will identify trends—such as the correlation between weather variables (temperature, wind speed) and migratory arrival dates. By calculating frequency distributions and applying probability, students will utilize math as a functional tool for ecological forecasting in the Hengqin region. For Lower Grades, adopting the Engineering Design Process (EDP)—Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, and Improve—younger students will transition from “consumers” of tech- nology to “creators.” This strengthens the “E” component by requiring the application of physical science and material logic to build functional prototypes. For instance, stu- dents might design a “Bird Robot” that mimics biological adaptations observed in the bird walks, such as the webbed feet of the Little Grebe or the wading mechanics of the Great Egret. This process forces students to solve mechanical problems like balance (center of gravity) and functional mechanics (beak articulation), translating biological traits into engineering solutions. Senior students will collaborate with local conservation organizations in Hengqin to address real-world monitoring challenges.This partnership will guide students in developing AI-powered bird recognition tools tailored to the local ecosystem. As a long-term extracurricular program, the impact of this birding initiative, specifi- cally the shift toward collective ecological advocacy, is likely to persist as a lasting change in students’ environmental identities. The “spontaneous scientific exploration” reported by parents indicates that birding has transitioned from a structured school activity into a durable family practice and a lens for interpreting the natural world. To further inves- tigate these long-term outcomes, future studies could adopt a mixed-methods approach. For example, researchers could quantitatively track how often students continue to use Li et al. Discover Education (2026) 5:634 Page 26 of 29 AI tools like BirdReport to measure their digital proficiency over time. Qualitatively, researchers could use “eco-biographies” to see if student-led projects, like the campus display corner, lead to future civic engagement or careers in STEAM. Ultimately, this research would reveal whether the program serves as a temporary spark or a permanent stepping stone toward environmental stewardship.

  generalfuture work
  Keywords: students toward functional local transdisciplinary steam world future school ecological birding address community real program
• Teacher noticing as embodied ecological enactment: an embodied–ecological–enactive model (2026) · Frontiers in Education · doi

  enactment manifesting as a unified, holistic process analytic dimensions across multiple environment dichotomies; noticing as of co-constituting the classroom ecology timescales; emergent professional an emergent, intersubjective property with students through simultaneous responsiveness; students as active co- of participatory ecological coupling affordance attunement, actualisation, and constituents of the affordance landscape cultivation

  generalfuture work
  Keywords: emergent students affordance enactment manifesting holistic process analytic dimensions across multiple environment dichotomies noticing constituting
• Academic Development in Sustainability-Oriented Learning Environments: A Qualitative Case Study of the Ocean i3 Project (2026) · International Journal of Educational Methodology · doi

  These recommendations provide specific guidance on how to strengthen academic development processes within sustainability-oriented environments. They translate the study’s findings into concrete actions designed to reinforce sustainable, collaborative, and educational innovation ecosystems. For researchers: - To conduct in-depth studies analysing academic development from an ecological perspective, exploring how individual, collective, and institutional factors interact in different educational contexts. - To design research incorporating longitudinal and participatory methodologies to capture how the tensions between opportunities and challenges evolve throughout innovation processes. 160  REKALDE-RODRÍGUEZ / Academic Development of Teachers - To examine in detail the role of students as active agents in educational transformation by systematically incorporating their voices into the analysis. - To develop theoretical frameworks that integrate the concept of a learning ecosystem and enable an understanding of teaching innovation in sustainability contexts as a non-linear, relational, and situated phenomenon. - To conduct comparative studies of transdisciplinary projects carried out in ESD contexts in order to identify common patterns and conditions that promote teachers’ academic development. For practitioners and institutional leaders: - To create flexible structures that recognise and support the interaction between individual motivations and institutional policies, fostering spaces where these two dimensions can interact constructively. - To promote complex, open, and transdisciplinary teaching projects that serve simultaneously as contexts for training, practice, and professional transformation. - To integrate the management of tensions—between opportunity and challenge—as a strategic component of teacher support, recognising conflict as a driver of learning. - To foster stable collaborative processes that link communities of practice with institutional structures, strengthening the coherence of the innovation ecosystem. - To ensure that sustainability initiatives are aligned with the actual conditions of the context (timing, resources and recognition), avoiding innovations that rely solely on individual effort. - To establish mechanisms for systematic reflection (practice logbooks, mentoring, seminars, etc.) that help teaching staff interpret and make the most of the inherent complexity of innovation processes.

  generalrecommendations
  Keywords: innovation academic development processes institutional contexts sustainability educational individual teaching practice collaborative conduct interact incorporating

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